Abstract

Internal Rhetorics: Toward a History and Theory of Self-Persuasion is a fitting title for Jean Nienkamp’s book. “Internal Rhetorics” appropriately labels the subject of the study being investigated. The term “internal rhetoric” can be seen as being—as Nienkamp observes—both “obvious and paradoxical”. It is obvious in that it is used in reference to the study of persuasive techniques we use on ourselves. It seems paradoxical, however, to those in the Western tradition who follow Plato in distinguishing the art of rhetoric from the art of philosophy or thought. The study of internal rhetoric is thought by Nienkamp to be a study of mental activity—that of both clarification and of deliberation. As the study is developed, Nienkamp argues that mental activity consists of a number of voices interacting in an attempt to persuade the mind of their influence. This interaction is “internal” in the sense that it happens within the “scene” contributed by the body.